Cessna 152 accident near Pullman, Washington, October 11, 1990
On October 11, 1990 at about 9:17 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N757LC, was destroyed in an accident near Pullman, Washington (Pullman airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE STUDENT PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 1990 · about 9:17 pm local time · cases in 1990
- Place
- Pullman, Washington · Pullman · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N757LC · registry record · serial 15279816
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF GROUND ROLL WHILE PRACTICING SOLO TOUCH AND GO TRAINING. THE ACFT DEPARTED THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND IMPACTED TERRAIN.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 15 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,458 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 19, 1990; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-230-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Interstate Aviation
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 6,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 200 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:25 pm from PUW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N757LC on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 152 1,636 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,683 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-230-L2C · as the NTSB recorded it
- Pullman/Moscow Regional · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Washington 2,709 since 1982 · 358 in the last ten years
- Washington 10,570 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA91LA005.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.